Abstract: An apparatus for forming sealed pouches comprising: a rotatable base forming drum having an outer surface with a plurality of base tooling cavities in the outer surface; a base stock supply mechanism for feeding a base stock film of material along a base stock path, a portion of the base stock path extending along the outer surface of the base forming drum; a system for displacing the base stock film into the base tooling cavities to form a pocket of base stock film material within each base tooling cavity; a material feed mechanism for feeding at least one material into each pocket of the base stock film; a rotatable lid forming drum having an outer surface with a plurality of lid tooling cavities in the outer surface; a lid stock supply mechanism for feeding a lid stock film of material along a lid stock path, a portion of the lid stock path extending along the outer surface of the lid forming drum; a system for displacing the lid stock film into the lid tooling cavities to form a lid recess of lid stock fi

Abstract: Apparatus, method, computing devices, and computer programs related to photodiagnosis and photodynamic therapy, methods of use thereof, and a method for detecting abnormal tissue, are provided,

Abstract: An apparatus for forming sealed pouches includes a rotatable base forming drum having a plurality of base tooling recesses in its outer surface, a base stock supply mechanism feeds a base stock web of material along a base stock path extending in part along the outer surface of the base forming drum, and a material feed mechanism feeds at least one material into the base tooling recesses. A lid stock supply mechanism feeds a lid stock web of material along a lid stock path that intersects with the base stock path downstream of the material feed mechanism, a hardenable material feed mechanism feeds a hardenable material along the base stock path or the lid stock path, and mechanism brings the base stock web and the lid stock web into contact under pressure. In one form a cooling system provides cooling to assist in cooling the hardenable material.

Abstract: Methods and structures for improving the performance of integrated semiconductor transistors operating at high frequency and/or high power are described. Two capacitors may be connected to an input of a semiconductor transistor and tuned to suppress second-harmonic generation and to transform and match the input impedance of the device. A two-stage tuning procedure is described. The transistor may comprise gallium nitride and may be configured as a power transistor capable of handling up to 1000 W of power. A tuned transistor may operate at frequencies up to 6 GHz with a peak drain efficiency greater than 60%.

Abstract: There is described a distributed optical fibre sensor for detecting one or more physical parameters indicative of an environmental influence on a sensor optical fibre, as a function of position along the sensor fibre. The sensor uses probe light pulses of different wavelengths. At least some of the probe light pulses may also be of different pulse lengths. The relative phase bias between interferometric signals in backscattered probe light of different wavelength pulses may also be controlled.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, an ejection device and a conveyance guide. The fixing device is configured to fix a toner image onto a sheet. The ejection device is configured to eject the sheet having fixed toner image by the fixing device. The conveyance guide is configured to guide the sheet along a conveyance path from the fixing device to the ejection device. The conveyance guide is provided with a plurality of main ribs formed along a sheet conveyance direction so as to be located inwardly by a predetermined length from both side edges of sheets of a plurality of sizes in a sheet width direction intersecting with the sheet conveyance direction. The conveyance guide is provided with a sub-rib formed to be lower than the main ribs arranged at a space where the interval between the main ribs is wider than a predetermined interval.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a casing, a toner container, a latch mechanism, a toner sensor, a determination section, and a locking control section. The latch mechanism locks the toner container in the casing. When the determination section determines that a detection result of the toner sensor is greater than an amount range of remaining toner in a nearly empty state, the locking control section controls the latch mechanism to lock the toner container in the casing. When the determination section determines that a detection result of the toner sensor falls in the amount range of remaining toner in the nearly empty state, the locking control section controls the latch mechanism to unlock the toner container in the apparatus main body in response to an unlocking operation input through an operation input section.

Abstract: A topical formulation comprising a first active agent that is pharmaceutically acceptable salt of a cationic bisbiguanide such as chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG), a secnd active agent which is a cationic quaternary ammonium compound such as cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), methylisothiazolone, or chloroxylenol, and a propellant; and an aerosol dispenser containing the topical formulation. The topical formulation can be sprayed onto exposed skin to prevent or reduce the risk of skin infection.

Abstract: A system and method for asynchronous conversation routing and tracing that allows a client and agent to connect and reconnect to one another over a discontinuous engagement. The system and method facilitate this by allowing multiple methods of communication between the client and agent, including live communications and out-of-band communications. All communications between a client and agent are tied to a client case accessible by the agent, and the client case can include context and environmental data to further assist the agent or to route a customer service call to an appropriate agent. At any time, the client or agent can send out-of-band messages to one another to advance the customer service process, or the client or agent can seek to re-establish live communication with each other. This provides the client with a consistent point of contact not easily supportable with phone based call centers where support is single-threaded.

Abstract: A fastener driving apparatus includes a spring anvil assembly that comprises a gas spring and an anvil. The end of the piston that extends out of the gas spring may be fixedly disposed against an object that is capable of exerting a force against the piston for at least a portion of the operational cycle. A drive mechanism acts on the spring assembly to store potential energy in the spring. The drive mechanism thereafter ceases acting on the spring assembly and the potential energy is released, causing the spring anvil assembly move and to separate from the drive mechanism for a period of free flight of the spring anvil assembly, the anvil thereafter moving to strike a fastener to drive the fastener into a substrate.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt rotatably located around a rotation axis, a pressure member rotatably located, and a pressing member. The pressure member is brought into pressure contact with the fixing belt to form a fixing nip. The pressing member includes a pressing surface that presses the fixing belt toward a side of the pressure member. The pressing surface includes a plane surface portion extending along a conveyance direction of a recording medium, and a curved surface portion located at a downstream side of the plane surface portion in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. The curved surface portion is curved along an outer peripheral surface of the pressure member. The curved surface portion has a curvature radius larger than a curvature radius of the outer peripheral surface of the pressure member before a deformation in association with a formation of the fixing nip.

Abstract: A transoral gastroesophageal flap valve restoration device has sufficient flexibility and dimension to be passed through the mouth, throat, and esophagus of a patient into the patient's stomach. The device includes a first member and a second member hingedly coupled to the first member. The first and second members are configured to flex in a direction to follow the esophageal path into the stomach and to be substantially rigid when forming the restored gastroesophageal flap valve.

Abstract: An aftertreatment system comprises a reductant storage tank and a SCR system including a catalyst for reducing constituents of an exhaust gas. A reductant insertion assembly is fluidly coupled to the reductant storage tank and the SCR system. A controller is communicatively coupled to the reductant insertion assembly. The controller is configured to: determine an initial pressure of the reductant, determine a first pressure at which the reductant is to be delivered to the selective catalytic reduction system and adjust an operating parameter of the reductant insertion assembly. The adjustment of the operating parameter results in an at least selective delivery of the reductant at the first pressure to the SCR system.

Abstract: Methods and structures for improving the performance of integrated semiconductor transistors operating at high frequency and/or high power are described. Two capacitors may be connected to an input of a semiconductor transistor and tuned to suppress second-harmonic generation and to transform and match the input impedance of the device. A two-stage tuning procedure is described. The transistor may comprise gallium nitride and may be configured as a power transistor capable of handling up to 1000 W of power. A tuned transistor may operate at frequencies up to 6 GHz with a peak drain efficiency greater than 60%.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus (100) includes a biological information acquiring unit (402) that, upon accepting a print job transmitted by a user through a preset terminal device (103), identifies the terminal device (103) including a biological information detecting unit based on the terminal device's (103) identification information assigned to the print job, and acquires the user's biological information detected by the biological information detecting unit through a biological information receiving unit, a biological information determining unit (403) that determines whether or not the acquired biological information corresponds to reference biological information indicating that the user is in a hurry, and a calibration control unit (404) that, if the determination result shows that the acquired biological information corresponds to the reference biological information, disables regularly scheduled calibration at a time of, or during execution of the accepted print job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an ejecting port, an ejected sheet tray and a guiding member. The ejected sheet tray has a sheet stacking face inclined upwardly towards a downstream side from a lower side of the ejecting port. The guiding member is provided at a position on the sheet stacking face to contact with a tip end of the ejected sheet at the position. The guiding member includes a base member attached to the sheet stacking face, a movable guide for stacking the ejected sheet and a biasing member. The movable guide is turnably supported on the base member around a supporting shaft. The biasing member is interposed between the base member and the movable guide at an upstream side from the supporting shaft to bias the movable guide upwardly. The movable guide is turned downwardly against a biasing force of the biasing member by weight of stacked sheets.

Abstract: A decontamination method for decontaminating an object of the present disclosure has steps including initiating spray in a first direction through one or more nozzles of a spray arm rotationally coupled to a control box, where the control box is in a first position and rotationally coupled to a leg of a gantry that is movably coupled to a track and rotating the control box to a second position based on profile data of the object.

Abstract: An apparatus adapted for use within a luggage item is described which comprises features for conforming to and surrounding one or more objects of various sizes and shapes. The apparatus, which may be removable, further includes features for protecting items from damage due to impact, abrasion, contamination, and other undesired effects.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus allow for the real-time rendering of specular effects within a three-dimensional model. At least one implementation allows a user to create a map that comprises a representation of at least one light source within a three-dimensional model. Furthermore, at least one implementation casts a viewpoint ray to an object surface point, wherein the viewpoint ray comprises a ray extending from a user perspective within the three-dimensional model. Additionally, at least one implementation casts a reflection ray of the viewpoint ray. Further, at least one implementation identifies an intersection point between the reflection ray and the map. Still further, at least one implementation calculates the specular reflection of the object surface point based on the intersection point.

Abstract: A method of determining which of a multifunctional printer's multiple functions a client device is requesting by determining an operation associated with a network port through which an operation request from the client device is received. The multifunctional printer can open multiple network ports each associated with a different operations, such that identification of the network port that the operation request was sent to can indicate which operation the client device is requesting.